News writer
The New Jersey Lottery announced a huge change to its popular Pick-6 game.
Previously hosting two drawings on Mondays and Thursdays at 10:57 Eastern time, Pick-6 will now have a third draw on Saturdays beginning July 12.
Why the added draw?
An additional drawing means more chances to play and, presumably, more tickets sold. More buy-ins mean rapidly increasing jackpots. New Jersey Lottery Director James Carey stated:
I'm excited about this enhancement. Everything we do is to benefit our players. By having an additional drawing each week, we will see jackpots grow even faster. That means more excitement for everybody.
Still the same game
Tickets will cost $2 per play, which is the same as before. The game's additional $1 Double Play option will continue to allow players to use their original numbers in an additional draw with prizes up to $250,000. Double Play is held immediately after the main draw.
The basic aspects of Pick-6 will remain the same. Players will choose six numbers between 1 and 46. The more numbers that match the draw, the higher the prize. Each ticket comes with a random multiplier for non-jackpot prizes. If all six numbers match, the player wins a jackpot of over $2 million. The jackpot rolls over after every draw until someone wins.
The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 9,366,819, while the odds of winning the minimum prize of $2 are 1 in 46.
Pick-6 was created in 1980 and quickly became one of the state's most successful lottery games. The most recent changes to Pick 6 in the game came in 2022 when the New Jersey Lottery added the Double Play feature. The change led to a sales growth of $80 million during subsequent years.
Players must be located in New Jersey to play the game, whether in person or online.
A temporary decrease in advance sales
In order to prepare for the additional draw, New Jersey Lottery is preparing retailers for a new, three-draw advance-sale process.
Previously, players could buy tickets for up to 26 upcoming drawings in one purchase using the same numbers each time - a unique feature of Pick-6.
This number will decrease to give retailers breathing room leading up to the changes on July 12. Since April 15, the number has been held at 24 permitted advance purchases. For every subsequent draw until Friday, July 11, this number will decrease by one. Afterward, players may purchase tickets for up to 26 future draws again.
How New Jersey lotto tickets benefit the state
Lottery proceeds in New Jersey benefit teachers, police officers, and other public sector employees.
New Jersey Lottery retailers earned $214 million in commissions in 2024, which amounts to more than $30,000 per retailer on average every year. Retailers can receive a bonus of up to $10,000 if a player wins a Pick 6 jackpot from a ticket purchased at their stores.
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